Parts stacker

ABSTRACT

A parts stacker particularly useful for handling limp fabrics, especially garments parts such as shirt sleeves, and including relatively narrow supports having low friction surfaces. The supports are retractable and cooperate with belts which engage the surfaces and feed the parts onto them.

United States Patent lnventors Francis H. Hughes;

Douglas J. Crawford, Troy, N.Y. 809,628

Mar. 24, 1969 May 11, 1971 Cluett Peabody & Co., Inc. Troy, N.Y.

Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee PARTS STACKER 2 Claims, 3 DrawingFigs.

US. Cl 214/6 Int. Cl 865g 57/06 Field ofSearch 214/6 (K),

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1961 Jochem 3,083,013 3/1963Morrison et a1. 2l4/6(H)X 3,126,657 3/1964 Hajos 2 l4/6(K)X 3,190,6406/1965 Stostrom 2 14/6(K)UX 3,225,942 12/1965 Fossenier 2l4/6(K)3,430,784 3/1969 Hall 214/6(K) 3,447,695 6/1969 Krepp et a1. 2l4/6(K)Primary ExaminerGerald M. Forlenza Assistant Examiner-Robert J. SparAttomeys-Leo Fornero and Robert J. Dockery ABSTRACT: A parts stackerparticularly useful for handling limp fabrics, especially garments partssuch as shirt sleeves, and incl uding relatively narrow supports havinglow friction surfaces. The supports are retractable and cooperate withbelts which engage the surfaces and feed the parts onto them.

Patented May 11, 1971 3,578,181

5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ila s M I:

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INVENTORS FRANCIS H. HUGHES DOUGLAS J. CRAWFORD @O 9 gj fwwh A ORNEYSPatentci May 11, 1971 5 Sheets-Sheet;

N QE & .2 N 0- H J 3 INVENTORS FRANCIS H. HUGHES DOUGLAS J. CRAWFORD r"-BY Zia/w ,4

ATTg mvs Patentd a 11, 1971 f 3,578,181

a sheets-sheet 5 INVENTORS FRANCIS H. HUGHES DOUGLAS J. CRAWFORD ATTNEYS PARTS STACKER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The field of the presentinvention is the transferring and stacking of pieces, particularlyfabric pieces. Many stacking of pieces, particularly fabric pieces. Manystackers of various types are found in the prior art. In many of theseprior art devices, the parts are required to slide in relation to largesupport surfaces prior to stacking. This may tend to create unevenSUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Many of the problems presented in the prior artare solved by the instant invention. The stacker of this invention isselfindexing by virtue of the fact that the work to be stacked is fed bypositive engagement with a moving surface, preferably that of an endlessbelt, directly to the point where it is .to be stacked. Since themovement of the belt can be accurately controlled and since beltmovement controls movement of the work such indexing and aligning meansas air guides and retainer walls which locate properly the work prior tostacking need not be used. In this invention the work is under controlof the belt up to the moment it drops onto the stack.

A further feature of this invention is that the stacker can be run athigh speeds due to the short support plate removal distance required. Inthis invention, the work is gripped near and along each of two opposededges between a belt and a rather narrow support plate so that a minimalsupport surface is adjacent the work. By reason of this minimal supportthe friction and static electricity eflects produced by the retractingsupport plates is not great. Whatever effects there are will begenerally offset by the two supports retracting away from each other.The effects of support withdrawal are further lesser'ied when theyretract at an angle to the surface of the work. That is, where theydrawaway from the piece rather than slide in relation to it in the sameplane.

The object of this invention is to solve many of the problems ofpresently available devices as outlined above; and to accomplish this,the invention comprises the features hereinafter described andparticularly set out in the claims, the description setting forth indetail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention. Theseembodiments are set out to show some of the many ways in which theprinciples of the invention may be employed.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front view of an apparatusconstructed according to the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the apparatus shown in FIG. I; and

FIG. 3 is a detail of a height indexing arrangement.

The figures are to be understood to be more or less of a diagrammaticcharacter for the purposes of illustration. Like characters identify thevarious elements in the several views.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION FIG. I, shows a stacking platform 10, firstand second retractable support plates ll a and 11b and two belts I3 andI4 engaging the respective surfaces 124 and I2!) of the support plates..Ai'r actuated arms 15 and 16 are operatively connected to the platesand serve to move the plates toward and away from the work piece 20. Thebelts engage the respective surfaces 120 and 12b so as to grip the work20 and hold it securely. The belts are driven by a motor I7 operativelyattached to the belts through means 18.

The retractable plates are relatively rigid and their surfaces have alow friction characteristic. The desired surface characteristics may betypically achieved with use of such material as Teflon fluorocarbonresin or nodularized metal. The belts, on the other hand, are made of amaterial which has a relatively high friction coefficient so that thework may be gripped securely between the surface of the respective beltand sup port plate. The belts may typically be made of any of a varietyof available belting materials such as cloth or rubber. The differencein surface characteristics of the belts and the support plates must besuch as to allow the work to move over the plates under the influence ofthe moving belts. In some cases, it may be desirable to use one widebelt rather than the two belts shown in the figure.

The two arms I5 and 16 are preferably attached to the supports so thatthe supports are drawn away at an acute angle, for example, an angle ofapproximately 15 with respect to the plane of the work has been foundadvantageous. The plates may be so constructed as to retract generallyin the plane of the work. Best results should be obtained when the angleof retraction is less than about 45 with respect to the work. It isdesirable-to have the two opposing plates retract simultaneously so thatthe piece does not distort as it falls to the stacking platform.

FIG. 1 shows the platform 10 at an angle. This is to compensate fordifference in thickness produced by a hem on the individual pieces.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the apparatus showing how the work 20 'maytypically be transferred from, for example, the work area beyond asewing station. The work would typically be transferred from belts 30aand 30b to the stacker and fed between the respective belts and supportsurfaces of the stacker. After disengaging from the belts 30a and 30b,the work is completely under control of the belts l3 and 14. Therespective belts may typically be supported by an arm 50 which iscarried on uprights 51a and 51b. Spring loaded tensioners 52 serve tohold the belts against the support surfaces.

Referring again to FIG. I, the stacking platform 10 is mounted on ashaft 40 which travels vertically in a bearing 41 which is soconstructed as to retain the shaft against rotational motion. Indexingmeans 19 are provided for lowering the platform according to the numberof pieces placed upon it. The means may typically comprise a constanttension spring which acts against the weight of the stacked pieces.Alternatively the indexing means may include, as shown in FIG. 3, adouble act ing cylinder 21 which is fixedly attached to and forms anextension of shaft 40 and a relieving regulator 22 installed in the airline 23 at one end of the cylinder and preset to maintain about I00p.s.i. on one side of the cylinder 21. At the other end of the cylinderin air line 23 are two electrically operated, normally closed two-wayvalve 24 and 25. When it is desired to raise the stacking platform 10,pressure above p.s.i. is passed through valves 24 and 25 after avariable pulse voltage opens the valves. When it is desired to lower theplatform 10, a variable pulse voltage closes valve 25 and permitsexhaust to atmosphere of the pressure in the cylinder. The variablepulse voltage to valves 24 and 25 may be increased in length of time toallow full raising of the platform 10 or may be increased in smallincrements to permit intermittent raising of the platform 10. The samewould be true of the time length of the pulse to valve 25 to allow foreither rapid lowering or incremental lowering of the platform 10.

Preferably the support plates 12a and 12b support only the edge areas ofthe work piece, although their width may vary depending on the size ofthe piece. The apparatus works best when less than about half of thearea of the work piece is contacting the plates.

The support plates may typically be about from about onehalf to about 2inches wide and should be at least long enough so that the work can becompletely captured between the belts and the supports. lntead of theplates, the supports could comprise belts driven either by engagementwith the feed belts l3 and 14 or by an external drive means The feedbelts may advantageously be made approximately the same width as therespective support surfaces.

Although the present invention has been described with reference tospecific apparatus, it will be appreciated by a person skilled in theart that a wide variety of changes may be gaging one of said horizontalplates in such a way so as to grip a garment part inserted between theplates and the transfer means so as to confine the part generally alongthe edges thereof and to advance the part along the support means;retracting means attached to said horizontal plates and so constructedand arranged as to retract said plates simultaneously away from the partin divergent but separate straight line paths forming an acute anglewith the horizontal plane sufficiently to allow the part'to fall betweenthem; and a platform located below the support plates, said platformbeing vertically movable.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the angle is less than approximately45.

1. An apparatus for transferring and stacking garment parts comprisingin combination: support means including two rigid horizontal platesspaced apart from and generally parallel to each other and lying in agenerally horizontal plane; transfer means including a pair of drivenbelts, each belt engaging one of said horizontal plates in such a way soas to grip a garment part inserted between the plates and the transfermeans so as to confine the part generally along the edges thereof and toadvance the part along the support means; retracting means attached tosaid horizontal plates and so constructed and arranged as to retractsaid plates simultaneously away from the part in divergent but separatestraight line paths forming an acute angle with the horizontal planesufficiently to allow the part to fall between them; and a platformlocated below the support plates, said platform being verticallymovable.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the angle is less thanapproximately 45*.